TKAM+essay+assignment

=TKAM essay assignment=

**[ Overview ]** For this assignment, you will write a traditional analytical essay that shows your understanding of //To Kill a Mockingbird//. You may respond to one of the following prompts:
 * 1) Explain Scout’s coming of age. What causes her to change? What realization(s) does she come to about the world? Use evidence from the text to support your ideas.
 * 2) Identify one “big idea” (AKA theme, AKA universal truth) that the novel conveys. Explain how Lee develops it over the course of the novel, using evidence to support your explanation.
 * 3) //To Kill a Mockingbird// is among the books most frequently banned in the United States. Make a case for why you think this book should/should not be banned, using evidence from the text to support your argument.
 * 4) The use of the word “nigger” in the novel is a controversial issue. Make a case for why the word should/should not be used in the novel, using evidence from the text to support your argument.
 * 5) Compare and contrast one of the Finches (i.e. Scout, Jem, or Atticus) to a main character from one of the other books we’ve read this year (e.g. Guy Montag, Ishmael, Equality/Prometheus, etc). Which character is superior (based on however you choose to define superiority), and why? Use evidence from the text to support your argument.

[ Directions ]

 * 1) Choose one of the prompts and spend some time freewriting about your thoughts on that topic. Save this freewriting; it will be a starting point for your essay later.
 * 2) As you continue to read the novel, use the essay organizer to keep track of details and/or quotations that are relevant to your topic and could be used in your essay.
 * 3) Once you've completed the novel, develop your thesis -- your one-sentence answer to the question posed by the prompt you chose.
 * 4) Develop an outline for your essay. Make sure each body paragraph uses TPEEA format and includes at least one quotation from the text as support.
 * 5) Write the first draft of your essay on Google Drive. Title it //TKAM essay (Last name)// -- e.g. "TKAM essay (Smith)."
 * 6) Conduct peer conferencing, then revise and edit your work.

[ Requirements ]

 * Your essay must respond to one of the prompts listed above.
 * Your essay must include a thesis statement that answers the prompt.
 * Your essay must include evidence from the text that supports the thesis -- at least one quotation per body paragraph.
 * Your essay must use MLA formatting (12-point Times New Roman font, double spacing, 1-inch margins).
 * Your essay must be 2-3 pages in length.

[ Due Date and Grading ]
The rough draft of your essay is due on **Tuesday, May 7**; the final draft is due on **Thursday, May 9**. This assignment is worth 400 points; it will be graded on its ability to form a thesis and support it with evidence, in addition to conventions and mechanics.